


The Dragon

by sxftmelody



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, beca has a dragon, chloe has a direwolf, jesse has the baker boy, stacie has a pub
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-14 02:04:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12997446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxftmelody/pseuds/sxftmelody
Summary: In which Beca and her dragon run into Chloe and her direwolf.//“Call your dog off!” Beca commands snappily, sending a glare to the stranger before looking up through the treetops in hopes of finding the small dragon. She calls out her name multiple times.“He is not a dog. He is a direwolf,” the redhead corrects her, patting Jay’s head.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy!  
> (sorry if out of character, twas originally an original story. tried my best to fix it up, tho!)

 

Beca isn’t quite sure where to run, so she stands frozen for what seems like an eternity, staring at the scene in front of her. Dead bodies scattered the ground and the screeches of all types of creatures whipped through the air with lightning-like crackles. Dragons,  _ her  _ dragons, full-grown beauties the sizes of castle towers, flew all around and spewed fire onto the attackers. Beca’s eyes dart between the attackers, noticing the different types of monsters being let loose. The beasts are things that she has never even seen before, things she has only heard tales about. 

 

She hears the tiny black dragon perched on her shoulder mewl into her ear and the sound is so heartbreaking that it snaps Beca out of her fright.

 

Her Kingdom was being attacked and Beca has no idea whether her family is alive or not…

 

And so Beca turns and, like she does with all of her problems, runs away.

 

//

 

Beca feels dirty as she trudges through the forest, every area of the damn place looking the exact same as areas Beca has already been to. There’s dirt in areas Beca has never wanted dirt to be in, the soles of her feet are cut up from all the walking she has done, her hair is a bird’s nest, and she can’t remember the last time she’s properly bathed. 

 

It has been a couple months since the attack on Beca’s village and Beca is sure every Kingdom in the vicinity has heard about the raid. Word travels quickly, and Beca has learned more information on her trips, as well. She picked up a local newspaper at one of the Inns she spent a night at and read through the article with tears streaming down her face.

 

Apparently the Kingdom had been taken over by escaped prisoners who had been training monsters deemed untrainable for their savage nature underground for many years before the attack. Of course, with Dragon’s being arguably the most powerful creature in the Realm, it is understandable why they’d attack the Mitchell Kingdom first.

 

And now the Mitchell Kingdom was no more and, to everyone else’s knowledge, every Mitchell is dead. Except for Beca.

 

But no one knows that Beca is alive, and no one recognizes her, either.

 

(She was never one for publicity.)

 

She has changed her name to Bella.

 

Just Bella.

  
  
  


Beca jumps down from the branch she was perch on and lowers her dagger onto the deer’s neck. The animal screeches out in pain before falling to the ground, dead, and Beca’s dragon, Blake, flies down to land atop Beca’s shoulder as she begins to skin the animal.

 

“We are eating well tonight, Blake,” Beca mumbles, feeding a raw piece of meat to her companion before continuing to skin the animal.

 

Blake and Beca had been born at the same time and had cried their first cries together. This is considered a sign of souls binding together, and it was unheard of until Beca was born. Beca had been the first Dragonborn in centuries, and now she’s considered dead to everyone in the Realm.

 

Beca’s just glad that she still has Blake, she wouldn’t know what to do without her. For one, Beca would’ve definitely frozen to death a while ago if it weren’t for her, and Blake keeps Beca’s sanity levels just a bit more steady. The reptile has a mind of its own and Beca might sound a little pathetic if she ever admitted that Blake has made her laugh until her stomach hurt on multiple occasions.

 

Blake was undoubtedly Beca’s bestfriend, as sad as that sounds.

 

Beca loved the little creature as much as the little creature loved her.

 

But sometimes…

  
  
  


“Blake!  _ Blake _ !” Beca calls out, running across the forest ground, hopping over branches and twigs that stuck out. Blake had randomly flown off. Again. And now Beca has to find her before she gets too far. 

 

She hears a familiar screech and runs towards it, sighing in relief when she sees Blake fly down from the treetops.

 

“What the  _ fuck _ , Blake?” Beca cusses and internally winces because if her father heard her curse like that while she was still a princess, she’d get scolded for the next five years. Blake screeches again as she lands on Beca’s shoulders and Beca can sense the aggressiveness in the noise.

 

When Beca hears multiple footsteps behind her, she jumps and spins, eyes widening at the sight in front of her.   

 

A girl with fiery red hair is clutching a dagger with white knuckles as a very  _ very  _ large canine stood at her side, teeth bared. The creature growls lowly, in a low stance as if it were ready to leap and attack Beca at any moment. The girl gives Beca a once over and narrows her eyes.

 

“I do not want any trouble,” Beca says, holding her hands out as a gesture to show she is unarmed. The redhead stays quiet. “I do not want you to get hurt.”

 

At this, Beca sees the girl smirk, as if trying to keep a laugh in. This rubs Beca the wrong way and she feels anger rile up inside of her (which isn’t the best idea when there is a huge dog-thing that looks like it’s going to eat Beca up in one bite).

 

“Blake can easily burn the both of you to ashes,” Beca narrows her eyes defensively. 

 

(It’s not technically a lie, but it isn’t the full truth, either. Blake will  _ eventually _ be able to do that, but she’s still much too small to cause  _ big _ damage.)

 

At the sound of her name, Blake shrieks.

 

The redhead actually laughs at this and if Beca weren’t so angry, she’d be a little stunned at how beautiful the noise is. 

 

“Your little lizard would be considered a  _ snack  _ to Jay,” she replies, the dog-thing snapping its jaws as if to show how much damage it could inflict to both Beca and Blake.

 

Beca’s frown increases with the demeaning comment. 

 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that and just be on my way,” she starts to walk past the duo but quickly jumps back when Jay snaps at her. Blake leaps off of Beca’s shoulder and flies towards Jay, beating its wings against his eyes as Jay attempts to shake his head, teeth baring. Blake flies off into the sky before Jay can bite her.

 

“Call your  _ dog  _ off!” Beca commands snappily, sending a glare to the stranger before looking up through the treetops in hopes of finding the small dragon. She calls out her name multiple times.

 

“He is not a dog. He is a direwolf,” the redhead corrects her, patting Jay’s head. Beca doesn’t comment on that and continues to shout out Blake’s name. “Besides, you are on  _ my _ land. Who are you and what is it that you want?”

 

Beca stops.

 

“Your land?” she  inquires, looking at the stranger. 

 

The girl lifts her chin upwards and Beca has to hold back an eyeroll because it reminds her of all the snotty princes she used to have to meet. 

 

“You are in the Beale Kingdom. I am Princess Chloe Beale.” she says, obviously feeling a sense of pride and honor. “Now, what is your name and your purpose?”

 

The two stare at each other for quite a while before Beca decides to respond.

 

“Bella,” Beca answers, “I am here in search of work.”

 

“You have a pet  _ dragon _ ,” Chloe replies with the quirk of an eyebrow, tone confused and amused at the same time. Her blue eyes are stunning, Beca thinks but would never say out loud. “You could sell that thing for a fortune and not have to work another day in your life.”

 

“I do not wish to sell her,” Beca replies as she puffs out her chest, standing tall even with the couple of inches she lacks to be at Chloe’s height. “Is there any work here or shall I be on my way?”

 

“There is work,” Chloe nods, the corner of her lips curving up. Beca can’t tell if it’s a genuine smile or one of amusement because she finds Beca pitiful. “Of course there is. It is a well-populated kingdom.”

 

“Then I will stay for a while and work,” Beca says firmly before going back to finding her dragon. As she walks away, she hears Chloe and Jay’s footsteps follow her. 

 

“What are you running away from, Bella?” Chloe asks with piqued interest. 

 

Beca pauses and looks at her with surprise evident on her face.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You do not look like you are from around here,” Chloe explains. “What brings you here?”

 

There is a brief silence in which Beca’s jaw visibly tenses and relaxes multiple times as she is in deep thought, trying to figure out what to say.

 

“My people are nomads. It is how we live.”

 

“That does not explain how you got the dragon,” Chloe leans on a nearby tree and taps the long side of her blade against her index finger, tilting her head. Beca  _ really _ doesn’t like how attract the princess is because it makes it hard for Beca to despise her. “Tell me, did you steal it?”

 

“Do not accuse me of theft,  _ Princess _ ,” Beca growls angrily, the title coming off her tongue with a bite. She walks off towards the direction Blake had flown off into and Chloe smirks as she follows the girl. The dog-thing—direwolf, whatever—has calmed down a lot since their first encounter, no longer in a prowling stance—but his eyes are still alert and his ears are still perked.

 

It is not long until Blake is perched on Beca’s shoulder once more. 

 

Despite the fact that Chloe has ordered Jay to lay off, it is clear that Jay still has a grudge against the tiny dragon as he continuously growls throughout their journey back to the kingdom whenever Blake would even move an inch.

 

“The guards at the gate will have to check your satchel,” Chloe says, pointing to the bag that patted against Beca’s upper thigh with each step she took. 

 

At the statement, Beca grasps onto her satchel strap protectively. 

 

Chloe clears her throat, taking note of Beca’s stiffness. “We are an open kingdom, but not to those who are dangerous.”

 

“I am not dangerous,” Beca replies before glancing down at her bag and then back up at Chloe. “Please do not let them take anything of mine.”

 

“What is it that you have in there?” Chloe questions curiously. 

 

“A journal, some jewelry, a knife, a bottle, and some food for me and Blake,” Beca answers honestly. “I believe I also have some bandages, too.”

 

Chloe nods and hums. “They won’t take anything.”

 

*

 

The guards kneel to Chloe once she is in viewing distance and stay down until Chloe orders them back up. Beca remembers feeling uncomfortable whenever people did that to her.

 

“Princess, you know it is not safe to go out all alone,” one guard states. “Please take a squadron with you next time.”

 

“I am fine,” Chloe replies. “I have Jay.”

 

Beca hands her bag over to one of the guards, who sifts through it thoroughly before handing it back. The guard then points to the dragon atop Beca’s shoulder. “You will need a leash for that.”

 

“I do not have one,” Beca looks over towards Chloe, dark, steely eyes asking for some help.

 

“Do any of you have thin rope?” Chloe asks around. A few guards rush around in search for some and then Beca ties the rope carefully around Blake’s left foot before tying it tightly around the strap of her satchel. The guards nod and let Beca pass.

 

Once the two of them make it through the main gate, Beca stops walking and turns to Chloe, who also stops. 

 

“Thank you,” Beca says with a bowed head. “Sleeping on the streets of a walled kingdom is much better than sleeping in the woods.”

 

“Stay out of trouble, Bella,” Chloe offers a small smile before departing with Jay by her side. 

 

Beca watches them walk off, watches Chloe shoot multiple people a stunning smile, before she turns and begins to explore the large Kingdom. 

  
  
  


She enters a pub at some point and scrunches her nose up as some sleazy man slides up next to her as soon as she opens the front door.

 

(She tied Blake up outside and hopes no drunk man will try to bother her.)

 

“New in town, lady?” he rasps with liquor-breath. 

 

Beca slips past him and ignores his cries of reject. When she gets through the initial crowd, she spots the bartender and makes her way to her. With the group of people surrounding the area, Beca can tell that the lady making drinks is quite popular.

 

As she gets closer, Beca can see exactly  _ why _ she’s popular. The girl is  _ stunning _ . 

 

(And it makes Beca think briefly back to the princess, but she shoves that thought away quickly.)

 

One would think that Beca wouldn’t be noticed until much later but almost as soon as she walks up to the bar, the bartender smiles widely at her and heads over.

 

“Hey, I’ve never seen your face around here before! How ‘ya doing? I’m Stacie,” the girl with light brown hair holds out her hand after wiping it on the towel strung across her shoulder.

 

Beca nods curtly and grabs hold of Stacie’s hand.

 

“Bella,”

 

“Well, Bella,” Stacie pulls back her hand, “Would you like a drink?”

 

“No, thanks,” Beca shakes her head, “I would like a job, if you are offering.”

 

“Oh!” Stacie’s eyes light up, “Sure thing, I’m always looking for a little help around this ol’ place!”

 

Beca thinks that this girl is really energetic and it might get annoying eventually, but she still can’t help the small smile that appears on her face.

 

“I’ll have to train you a little later but— _ Oh! _ ” Stacie’s attention is taken away as a large group of men walk in, “Here, just get behind the counter, I’ll teach you along the way.”

  
  
  


The night is the most hectic night Beca has had in a long time (and that’s saying a lot) but it’s been awhile since Beca has been around so many people without running away. Stacie’s open presence makes it a lot easier, too.

 

They’re cleaning up the pub when Stacie starts talking.

 

“So, Bella, you just passing through here or you settling down?” she asks, wiping down the bar as Beca is wiping down a table across the room.

 

“I am not too sure,” Beca replies, hands freezing for half a second before she continues wiping down, “I have been on the move for…” she remembers telling the princess that she was a nomad, and thinks it’s best if she keeps the story going, “...my whole life.”

 

“Well, if you ever decide to settle down,” Stacie flashes her a smile, “the Beale Kingdom is the best place to do it.”

 

//

 

Beca sleeps down the street from the pub, hidden between the nook of an old library and the Kingdom’s walls. Blake sleeps curled up next to her. 

 

It’s been a couple weeks since Beca ran into the princess in the woods and was taken into the Kingdom and Beca already has a routine set up. Every morning she’d go out of the Kingdom with Blake so the dragon could fly around without being leashed before they’d go back in the evening so Beca could work at the pub.

 

Stacie had taken it surprisingly well when Beca told her she had a dragon and was the one to offer having Blake inside the pub.

 

(“Wow! That’s amazing! Hey, why don’t we keep her inside? We could always use another way to keep these old drunkards in their place,” followed by a wink.)

 

To say the least, Stacie is a good person and Beca is glad to have found her.

 

Stacie has never asked about Beca’s sleeping situation, but Beca is sure she knows that something’s up. Sometimes she brings in extra clothes and tells Beca to ‘freshen up’ without sounding pitiful or demeaning—she just smiles her usual ‘Stacie’ smile and pushes Beca towards the bathroom.

 

When Beca walks in one day, she’s surprised to see everything still cleaned up, with the chairs still atop of the tables and the glasses still on the shelves. Stacie is sitting on the counter, going through something on a piece of paper when she hears Beca walk in.

 

“What?” is all Beca says.

 

“Oh, you silly goose! There’s a parade today!” Stacie exclaims, “The Royal Family is holding one in honor of the King and Queen’s anniversary. All anyone was talking about yesterday was this!”

 

Now that Beca thinks about it,  _ yeah _ , conversation was really focused on the Royal Family yesterday, but she hadn’t thought much about it. People always mentioned them when they came in the pub and Princess Chloe was  _ always _ a topic among the crowd of drunks. Many people really seemed to adore Princess Chloe.

 

Beca expected drunk men to do nothing but say lewd things about the princess but Beca was nicely surprised to hear only nice things (and if a man were to say something bad, he’d quickly be reprimanded by the other pub guests). Beca heard stories from Princess Chloe saving their daughter from doing self-harming things to Princess Chloe giving them another chance at life by offering gold pieces.

 

As much as Beca wanted to despise the Princess and all the smirks she had given Beca the day they met, Beca couldn’t—not when she is clearly an amazing human being.

  
  
  


“So, no work?” Beca asks, making Stacie laugh.

 

“No work,” Stacie grins, “Are you going to the parade?”

 

“No,” Beca shakes her head, “I will probably be outside the Kingdom.”

 

And another thing that Beca likes about Stacie? 

 

She doesn’t push her.

 

“Alright, then,” Stacie nods, “Stay safe, would ya?”

  
  
  


It’s  _ late _ into the night when the Kingdom’s festivities die down and everyone’s so drunk that they’re passed out and everything is quiet for the first time all day.

 

Beca is sat on the empty road when she unties Blake and lets her fly around. It’s been a few minutes, with Blake letting out happy mewls and Beca smiling in return, until Beca hears footsteps. 

 

When she turns her head, she’s surprised to see none other than Chloe Beale walking down the road. She only knows it’s her because there is that direwolf alongside her.

 

“ _ Blake _ ,” Beca hisses quietly for the dragon to come, which she does. Blake lands in Beca’s lap softly just as Chloe nears. Jay is oddly calm despite Blake’s presence.

 

“I am sorry,” Beca apologizes. “She’s been without the rope all day since we were outside the Kingdom and it’s hard for me to put it back on her—”

 

“It is fine,” Chloe cuts through, sitting down next to Beca, not minding that the girl has quite an odor on her; mostly of burnt meat and hard liquor. Jay lays down at Chloe’s feet and Beca’s eyes widen as his tail brushes against her leg. “You can let her fly some more.”

 

Beca gulps before releasing Blake again. The dragon lets out a satisfied, muted shriek and Jay’s ears perk up before he plops his head back down into his paws. She can’t help but grin as she watches her dragon fly in circles.

 

“She is fascinating,” Chloe mumbles, her hand petting Jay between his ears. Beca simply hums, and the two watch Blake fly around. A couple of times, Beca has to call quickly for the dragon to come back because she would disappear behind a rooftop, and every time it made Chloe giggle.

 

(Beca doesn’t admit that she’s glad she’s sitting down because the noise would make her knees buckle if she were standing.)

 

“I heard Stacie has given you a job,” Chloe states after a few minutes of just sitting there, watching Blake. 

 

“Yes, she has,” Beca nods.

 

“That’s good. She and I have been close friends since we were kids but lately I have been too busy to keep her company. I am glad she has you.”

 

Beca honestly has no idea what to say to that, so she hums and changes the topic.

 

“What are you doing up so late?” her eyes are trained on Blake but she can see from her peripheral that Chloe smiles.

 

“I have trouble sleeping,” the princess admits, bending her knees and hugging them to her chest. Jay lifts his head at the position change. “And it is  _ really  _ easy to escape the castle through my bedroom.”

 

“So you walk around the street at night alone?” Beca says with a quirked eyebrow, turning to look at Chloe. “Is that not dangerous?”

 

“I have Jay with me. Besides, the people here are kind, Bella,” Chloe replies, and Beca tries not to feel too prideful at the fact that the princess remembers her name. “We do not hurt each other.”

 

Beca presses her lips together in a thin line before pursing them a bit, lost in her own thoughts.

 

“I think the kindness of the people has a lot to do with the kindness of their leaders,” she finally says. 

 

Chloe looks at her with intrigued eyes, pupils glowing with the torches scattered throughout the streets.

 

“You think so?” Chloe questions softly.

 

“I know so,” Beca replies firmly. Her lips form a small smile in which Chloe returns. “You are a good person, Princess.”

 

“You barely know me,” Chloe shakes her head bashfully. 

 

Beca tilts her head. “And you did not know me when you allowed me into your kingdom,” she counters. “But you let me in, anyway. You are a good person, Princess.”

 

“Please do not call me Princess,” the words leave Chloe’s lips before she can process them. Beca looks taken aback, eyebrows raising. Chloe averts her gaze, watching Blake let out a small spray of flame from her mouth. “You are one of the few people who do not choose to pretend to be someone they are not in order to impress me—and I would like that to stay true.”

 

The surprise on Beca’s face fades away and is replaced with genuine happiness. “It will stay true, then,” she says. 

 

Chloe looks up just in time so Beca could catch the growing smile on her face.

 

It is the first smile— _ smile _ , not a smirk—of Chloe’s in which Beca can see her teeth—which are straight and pearly white—and it absolutely launches Beca into a whirlwind of emotions. Her stomach churns with a million fluttering butterflies— _ no _ , a million  _ Blakes’s _ —and her cheeks warm up as if Blake has burnt her. Chloe’s eyes are the most beautiful aspect about her smile, Beca thinks. 

 

They practically  _ twinkle _ . It is beautiful. 

 

But Beca should not feel that way about a girl who she has  _ just _ met. It isn’t right. 

 

She looks away from Chloe’s smile with a shake of her head and her own smile on her face.

  
  
  


Meeting up with Chloe at night becomes another part of Beca’s routine.

  
  
  


“You can pet him,”

 

“I can  _ what _ ?”

 

Chloe’s laugh is beautiful as she takes hold of Beca’s hand and brings it towards Jay’s head.

  
  
  


“No way,” the redhead laughs in disbelief at Beca’s story, “A  _ dragon  _ scared of heights?”

 

Beca grins and shakes her head, “I am being serious.”

 

“So how did you get her down from there?” Chloe’s eyes, though they are full of sleepiness, are still shining brightly with an energy Beca can confidently say she’s never seen in anyone else (not even Stacie). It makes Beca’s stomach do a familiar flip and she ignores it just as she’s learned to do so the past few months.

 

“Well, I climbed up there, of course,” Beca says and the way Chloe’s eyes widened makes Beca laugh.

 

“ _ You _ ?” Chloe’s mouth opens in surprise.

 

Beca nods.

 

“Were you not scared?”

 

“I was more scared for Blake, to be quite honest,” Beca says, smiling as Blake shrieks quietly at her name being mentioned. “My father was so mad at me for climbing up there, I created a ruckus in the Kingdom because the guards could not figure out a way to get me down.”

 

Chloe’s smile softens upon the mention of Beca’s father. It’s already a known fact between them that Beca’s relationship with her parents was a private thing, moreso because it was a rocky relationship.

 

Then, she frowns slightly.

 

“What is it?” Beca asks.

 

“You said Kingdom and guards,” Chloe says, confusion in her tone, “but I thought you were a nomad?”

 

“It was in passing,” Beca’s quick to make something up, “Tents and fires do not help much in the winter so my people found it easier to stay at Inns across Kingdoms when it was too cold.”

 

Chloe seems to buy it as the wrinkles in her forehead smoothen out and she nods.

 

“You never did tell me where you found Blake,” Chloe mentions.

 

“That is a story for another time, Chloe Beale,” Beca says with a wink, trying to play off her nervousness. Chloe nudges her shoulder against Beca’s.

 

“Awe, come on,” Chloe whines.

 

“Nope,” Beca shakes her head.

 

Chloe backs off with a smug smile, “I’ll get it out of you one day.”

 

Beca scoffs and shakes her head.

 

“Speaking of Blake,” Chloe mumbles, “she’s getting quite big.”

 

“I know,” Beca nods, a sad undertone in her voice as she watches Blake land on top of a rooftop. “I was thinking about leaving soon, you know,  _ moving _ .”

 

“Oh,” Chloe replies, disappointment evident in her tone. Beca curses herself for ruining the good mood that they had earlier. “You can always just stay, you know?”

 

Beca pointed to herself, “Nomad, remember?”

 

“Yeah, I remember,” Chloe says quietly. There’s a howl in the distance and Chloe’s quick to stand up. “That is my cue. I will see you around, Bella.”

 

Beca nods and says her goodbyes. 

 

And when Chloe stops showing up at night, Beca thinks that maybe it  _ is _ time for her to move.

 

//

 

Beca stays for a month longer, just so she can make some more gold before she heads off. She tells Stacie she’s leaving soon and the girl gives her a tight hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek which makes Beca laugh. She’s really going to miss the girl.

 

Speaking of Stacie, she’s out sick on this particular night, which doesn’t bother Beca too much because it’s been a slow day. Beca is just about to close up when she hears the door open, jaw going slack when she sees Chloe. She quickly catches herself and nods towards her.

 

“Princess,” she addresses and she thinks she imagines the way Chloe winces at the title.

 

“Bella,” she responds with her own nod, “Is Stacie not in?” 

 

“No,” Beca shakes her head, wiping down the bar as Blake walks across it, “she is out with a fever today.”

 

“Oh, okay,” Chloe falters, “She told me you are leaving soon.” 

 

“Did she?” Beca asks, briefly wondering why she was a topic between the two.

 

“Yes, she did,” Chloe says, “I guess… I just wanted to say goodbye, properly.”

 

“Properly,” Beca repeats with a bit of harshness in her voice, “Was last time not proper enough?”

 

There’s a bite in her voice and even Blake notices eyes looking at Beca curiously. Of course Beca was hurt at the fact that Chloe just disappeared like that. She thought the two of them had some sort of friendship going on, and having Chloe just… walk away and then proceed to ignore her whenever the two crossed paths in public… it hurt Beca, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

 

“Bella,” Chloe starts off sadly, “You are  _ leaving _ .”

 

“I know I am,” Beca responds, tossing the dirty towel into the sink and heading towards the back room. The door swings shut before being opened as Chloe follows her. Beca groans when she notices the redhead standing between her and the doorway. 

 

She can’t run away this time.

 

“You are leaving, and I did not want…” Chloe trails off. Beca waits for her to finish her thought. The skin of Chloe’s throat tightens as she swallows. “I did not want to feel more for you than I already do, because that would only hurt more when you left.”

 

The words don’t properly register in Beca’s mind until a few seconds later.

 

“Princess, what—”

 

“ _ Do not _ ...” Chloe takes a step closer, “call me that.”

 

There’s little space between them now, and it makes Beca breathe in raggedly.

 

“I am leaving,” Beca whispers, hyper aware of the fact that Chloe’s still getting closer and closer. With every step Beca takes away, Chloe takes one forwards. It’s not long until Beca can feel the redhead’s breaths fan across her own lips. 

 

“I know,” Chloe nods and Beca’s breath hitches as their noses rub against each other. A hand comes up to rest against Beca’s waist just as Beca feels her back make contact with the wall behind her. 

 

“ _ Chloe _ ,” she breathes out, one hand coming up to rest on the princess’s shoulder. Her eyes flutter close just as soft lips meet her own. 

 

Beca’s body moves on its own accord, the hand on Chloe’s shoulder moving up to gently grab at her neck, pulling her closer. The princess hums into the kiss, pressing every possible inch of her body against Beca’s as Beca’s other hand tugs at her fiery tresses. Beca feels her body heating up with each passing moment and she thinks she’s going to explode when Chloe’s tongue, wet and warm, licks at her bottom lip.

 

She gasps and Chloe uses the opportunity to lick into her mouth, making Beca feel like she’s definitely overheating. She briefly has the nerve to check if Blake is in the room, pulling a prank on them, but then Chloe nips at her lip and pulls away. Beca almost— _ almost _ —whimpers at the loss of contact until she feels the redhead placing kisses on her jaw. Beca turns her neck upwards and gulps down the moan that threatens to escape as Chloe’s mouth works wonders.

 

“ _ Chloe _ ,” Beca is breathless and the name that escapes her name is airy. 

 

It has been too long since Beca has been this intimate with anyone and she’s never realized how much she’s been craving it until now, with white hot sensations shooting through every nerve in her body caused by the cursed lips of this beautiful princess. 

 

“Oh,  _ gods _ ,” Beca closes her eyes as Chloe begins to suck at her skin and she feels Chloe’s thumbs slip under her shirt to caress her hip bones. 

 

“Is this okay?” Chloe whispers as she soothes the bite mark she left on Beca’s neck. 

 

“Yes,” Beca nods and if she were in her right mind, she’d be embarrassed at how desperate she sounds.

 

“You are leaving,” the tone of Chloe’s voice makes Beca’s eyes open and her heart clench.

 

Beca stares into blue eyes as she regains her breath. Chloe isn’t crying, but Beca can see that she’s close to it.

 

“I am leaving,” Beca says, “But, I am here right now, so…” she grabs Chloe’s wrist and moves the girl’s hand towards her inner thigh.

 

It seems like something  _ clicks _ inside of Chloe and her bright eyes turn a shade darker.

  
  
  


It’s not long until Beca’s choking back Chloe’s name in a silent scream of pleasure, leaving behind scratches on Chloe’s back that would end up staying longer than she does.

  
  
  


**//**

  
  
  


“Blake,  _ up _ ,” Beca commands the dragon she is on and feels Blake’s muscles flex as the creature prepares to jump up into the air. She holds a bit tighter onto the dragon as she ascends. 

 

It’s been nearly a whole year since that night with Chloe. Beca had left the next morning, without saying goodbye to Chloe or Stacie, and never looked back. Since then, she’s made quite a name for herself.

 

Bella the Dragon, they called her. Beca thought it was humorous that people considered  _ her _ a dragon, but she’s glad that it at least makes people stay out of her way. Blake has gotten much, much larger and at this point, people can see her and Blake coming from miles away. 

 

She has continued to move around, going from the North to the South and back and forth. She never visits the same place if she can help it, and she stays clear from the Beale Kingdom.

 

That is, until she hears some news at a pub she’s holed up in some place in the South.

 

“That Princess Beale is getting married,” some man with a gruff voice says from across the bar, “I wondered when she’d finally get the ring.”

 

Another man laughs, “it’s to some chap with the Royal Guard in his blood. Predictable, isn’t it?”

 

“Hey, Dragon, you hear about this?”

 

Upon being thrown into the conversation, Beca just lifts up her glass.

 

“Congratulations to them, then.”

 

And the whole pub erupts in cheers.

  
  
  


It’s in the heat of the moment that she wakes Blake from her slumber and starts them off on a journey to the North. 

 

To Chloe.

  
  
  


By the time she reaches the Kingdom’s gates, there’s already a large crowd waiting for her. She lowers Blake as gently as she can but the dragon still causes the ground to rumble beneath her, and a few onlookers flinch and yelp in surprise. Beca slides off of Blake’s back with practiced ease, and walks towards the front gate.

 

The guards are all lined up, as if anticipating any hostile movement, but then the lineup is broken by a girl who shoves through them. Beca recognizes that beauty anywhere, and her face breaks out into a smile.

 

“Bella!” Stacie exclaims, rushing towards Beca and pulling the shorter girl into a hug.

 

There are mumbles and gasps from the onlookers as Beca hugs back, a laugh escaping her. Stacie hasn’t changed one bit, and Beca is incredibly glad.

 

“We  _ have _ to catch up,” Stacie pulls away, holding Beca at armsreach, hands on her shoulders. She winks at Beca, “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, hun.”

 

“It is all due to Blake,” Beca smiles and her smile falters as she notices familiar red hair  appear behind Stacie. Stacie moves to the side and Beca sees, in full view, the Royal Family standing in front of her.

 

“Dragon,” the King speaks, and if Beca thought she’d have gotten used to being called that, she’s wrong.

 

Beca lowers her head in respect, “King.”

 

“Is there any reason behind this visit?” His tone isn’t accusing nor is it welcoming.

 

Beca’s eyes flicker briefly to Chloe’s, and sees blue eyes widen at the contact. She looks back at the King.

 

“No, I was just passing by. I figured I would visit Stacie, my friend,” Beca gestures towards the girl who still has her arm around her shoulder. “And to tell my congratulations to the Princess.”

 

At that moment, there’s a bustle and a few people in the crowd behind the guards start to murmur.

 

A strikingly familiar voice calls out, “My Lady, what is going on—” 

 

Then a man appears between the guards and Beca is frozen in shock at the familiar face. He steps next to Chloe, his arm wrapped around his waist but then brown eyes meet blue and his arm falls slack as he takes a step forward.

 

Everyone is quiet.

 

“Jesse,” Beca whispers, so low that only Stacie can hear her. Stacie gives her an odd look and moves away as Jesse gets closer.

 

“Unbelievable,” Jesse whispers before promptly pulling Beca into a tight embrace. His mouth is next to her ear as she spoke quietly, “I thought you had died.”

 

Beca is too shocked to respond.

 

When Jesse pulls away, he turns to the crowd.

 

“Son, you know her?” the King asks the question that’s on everyone’s minds.

 

“Yes, I do,” Jesse nods proudly and lifts his chin, looking towards the crowd. His voice is loud and clear. “You lot should be  _ kneeling _ , for you are in the presence of Beca Mitchell, Princess of the Mitchell Kingdom and the first Dragonborn in centuries.”

 

Gasps ring out in all directions and Beca hisses at Jesse to shut up but Jesse just looks at her fondly as people begin to follow what he says. Beca feels the uneasiness in her stomach build as she sees people bowing down to her. 

 

She’d preferred when they were just scared of her.

  
  
  


“So, Royal Guard, huh?” Beca asks as Jesse leads her around the castle. She’s still  _ super _ uncomfortable, but at least they don’t have the whole Kingdom staring at them. Stacie had gotten lost in the crowd as Beca was given Royal treatment right away and Chloe had gone off to who-knows-where, so it left Beca and Jesse time to catch up.

 

The last time Beca had seen Jesse was right before she’d gone out on a walk the day of the attack. He had wanted to go with her but he had sword training that day, and so he couldn’t. 

 

The two had been close ever since they were kids considering their parents were also such close friends.

 

“Yeah,” Jesse nods, “You know it has always been my dream.”

 

Beca gives him a small smile, “I am proud of you.”

 

And it’s the truth, even if the nagging voice at the back of her head tells her that she should be angry and betrayed at the fact that he’s going to marry Chloe soon. The more rational side of her knows it’s not his fault and that she doesn’t have a reason to be angry, considering she was the one who ran away.

 

“Thank you,  _ Becaw _ ,”

 

“Oh,  _ no _ ,” Beca rolls her eyes at the old nickname and tries to turn away from Jesse but he just laughs loudly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Beca isn’t quite sure how she got here, stuck between Jesse on her right and the Queen on her left, at a feast. 

 

(Well, Jesse kind of forced her to go, quite literally  _ dragging _ her to the dining hall.)

 

But Beca does not want to be here.

 

Not when Jesse’s feeding Chloe food even though Chloe has  _ perfectly capable hands _ and could do it herself. Not when Chloe’s eyes would meet hers when the redhead is laughing and the brightness in her eyes would immediately dim upon seeing Beca.

 

Beca tries excusing herself more than once but every time, Jesse makes her sit down

 

And when Jesse starts telling everyone embarrassing stories about Beca, she  _ really _ wants to leave.

 

“One time, she climbed up one of the castle towards because her dragon had gotten stuck up there!” Laughter rings out as soon as the sentence leaves Jesse’s mouth and Beca scowls because it was never  _ that _ funny. This specific story brings out a bitterness deep inside her heart because it makes her remember back when she told Chloe about the story. “The whole Kingdom was going nuts! We thought she was going to fall to her death. The King was  _ furious _ and the Queen looked like she was about to pass out.”

 

More laughter rings out and Beca tries really hard to keep calm. She digs her nails into her palms.

 

“Who would have thought? A  _ dragon  _ being scared of heights,”

 

Beca stands up so fast that her chair scrapes against the floor with a high-pitched screech that causes multiple people to wince.

 

“I have to use the bathroom,” she says in a tone so cold that it’d send shivers down Blake’s spine.

 

She leaves the dining hall with burning eyes and hurries to the room she had been given. 

  
  


When the door opens a few minutes later, Beca assumes it’s Jesse.

 

“Go away, Swanson, I do not wish to see you,” 

 

“I always wondered why you spoke so properly,”

 

The light, melodic voice causes Beca to turn around in surprise.

 

“Chloe,” she says in surprise.

 

“ _ Princess _ ,” the redhead snaps back.

 

Beca’s heart stings and a look of hurt flashes across her face before she recovers, quick to put on the emotionless mask she’s spent the past year perfecting.

 

“My apologies,  _ princess _ ,” Beca responds.

 

“You lied to me,” Chloe states, sounding more angry than anything. “You lied to me, made love to me, and then left me.”

 

“Well, it is not something I go around telling for fun. What did you expect me to say?” Beca retorts. Her voice goes up a pitch as she talks, “Hey, Princess Chloe? My real name is Beca Mitchell. My Kingdom was raided by a bunch of prisoners and I am the only surviving member of my family! I have been living on the road for months and I have been on the brink of death more than once! Nice to meet you!”

 

The vein on the side of her neck threatens to pop out as she feels the anger bubbling up inside of her. 

 

“Oh,  _ no _ , you do not get to be mad at me,” Chloe’s voice lowers itself as she steps towards Beca, eyes narrowing. “I did not leave you.”

 

“I was leaving, you knew that,” Beca grits her teeth, “We  _ both  _ knew I was leaving.”

 

“And it is my fault for believing that maybe—just  _ maybe _ —you would have stayed for me?” Chloe’s words are still coming out in a haste that shows she is angry, but the question is asked in a sad tone.

 

“Yes, actually! It is!” Beca throws up her arms in disbelief. “Chlo— _ Princess _ , what did you think would have happened if I stayed? We would get married? That is not how life works, okay?!”

 

“We could have worked something out!”

 

“No, we could not have!” Beca yells back. They stare at each other for a few seconds, fire in their eyes.

 

Beca tightens her jaw. 

 

“It does not work like that, Princess. And you and I both know it,” her voice is raspy after all the yelling and she sounds defeated, “You are getting married to Jesse now, so it does not matter.”

 

“How do you know it would not have worked out?” Chloe’s eyes are adamant. 

 

Beca turns away, “Nothing ever works out for me when it comes to my partners.”

 

“What do you mean?” Chloe’s voice is softer now, and Beca hates it. She wants to go back to yelling.

 

“ _ Nothing _ . Drop it,”

 

“I am not a dog, do not talk to me like that,” Chloe hisses and Beca hears her come closer. It is silent before Chloe speaks again, the air full of tension.

 

“Beca, tell me.”

 

It’s the first time Chloe calls her by her real name, and it makes Beca look her in the eyes. There’s something in Chloe’s eyes that makes Beca drop her walls, that makes Beca able to feel vulnerable yet protected at the same time.

 

Beca  _ hates  _ it.

 

“My lovers never stay,” is all Beca says.

 

Chloe frowns.

 

“Is that why you always leave?”

 

The Princess leaves when Beca doesn’t respond and as soon as the door closes, Beca drops to the ground and starts bawling her eyes out.

 

//

 

“Hey, shall I prepare my best drink?” Stacie says upon seeing Beca enter the pub. 

 

Beca shakes her head and smiles, moving behind the counter like clockwork and starting to help Stacie make drinks.

 

“Is it weird that I have missed this?”

 

“Making alcoholic beverages for old, deadbeat men?” Stacie quirks an eyebrow, her tone sarcastic. “ _ No _ , not at all. In fact, I’ve heard it’s many people’s favorite past time.”

 

Beca laughs and playfully hits Stacie’s arm as the other girl smirks. 

 

Stacie, as shocked as she was about Beca being Beca Mitchell, was as cool about it as she was about Blake.

 

(“Wait, so, you had your own Kingdom? That’s so interesting! Tell me all about it.”)

 

“You’ve met up with the princess, I assume?” Stacie asks as they’re cleaning up. Beca hums.

 

“Yeah,”

 

“... Are you gonna tell me what happened?”

 

“Nothing,”

 

“Oh,  _ bullshit _ ,” Stacie says, making Beca stare at her with surprised eyes, “She was a complete mess when you left! And no one except me knew why! C’mon, humor me, pipsqueak.”

 

Beca’s wide eyes narrow, “First, do not call me ‘pipsqueak’. Second, there is nothing to tell. We spoke and she is angry at me for lying about who I was.”

 

“And so you hanging around the pub every night for the past week hasn’t been because you want to avoid the princess and her new lover?”

 

“I am done talking about this,”

 

Stacie sighs. 

 

“You can’t run away from everything, Beca,”

 

“That’s  _ Princess Beca _ to you,”

 

“Oh,  _ shut up _ .”

 

And then they’re back into their usual bickering banter.

 

//

 

“I knew I would find you here,”

 

“You caught me,” Beca says without looking up, recognizing the voice from anywhere. She tosses a pebble into the street as Chloe sits down next to her.

 

“Where is Blake?”

 

Beca can’t help but snort, “She is  _ much _ too big to be flying around these streets.”

 

“Good point,” Chloe nods.

 

The air between them is weird. It’s tense, but it’s also filled with comfortable familiarity. 

 

Beca looks over and notices the absence of a furry friend, “Where is Jay?”

 

Chloe looks down at her lap.

 

“He died a few months ago on our journey to the Posen Kingdom,” she says.

 

“Oh, I am sorry for your loss.”

 

“Thank you,” Chloe nods.

 

Beca bites her lip.

 

“Have you… Have you ever thought about getting another one?”

 

“I do have one. She is only a baby,” Chloe’s voice is oddly shaky and Beca stares at her questioningly.

 

“What is it?” Beca asks gently.

 

“I named her Bella.”

 

(Of course, of  _ course _ this is something Chloe would do. Sweet, caring, beautiful Chloe  _ would  _ name her new direwolf Bella.)

 

Beca is absolutely floored, and her mouth opens in shock.

 

“Princess…”

 

“I understand why you lied to me and everyone else,” Chloe cuts her off off, ignoring Beca’s look of shock. She keeps talking, determined to get her words out as she stares Beca right in the eyes, “It was wrong of me to get upset at you for that. There was too much backstory for you to just tell me, I realize that now.”

 

Beca doesn’t try to speak because she knows Chloe isn’t done.

 

“I am still extremely hurt by the fact that you left me. I know I meant more to you, too, so I know it is not because you did not love me,” Chloe’s eyes are filled with a fire that Beca has never seen before, one that isn’t angry, one that is more compassionate than anything. 

 

“I have realized that you run away. You ran from your Kingdom as you have ran away from the dining room. As you have ran away from me.”

 

This time, Beca opens her mouth, but Chloe holds up a hand.

 

“I do not wish to marry Jesse,” Chloe shakes her head, “I never did. My parents just wanted me to wed and so I chose Jesse because he is safe.”

 

“Safe?” Beca furrows her eyebrows.

 

Chloe smiles softly, “He is in love with the baker boy, Benji.”

 

“Oh,” Too much is happening for Beca to process, “Oh,  _ wow _ , okay.”

 

“He knows about us,” 

 

“He  _ what _ ?”

 

Beca’s head is spinning.

 

“I told him about Bella, about  _ you _ , and… he put the pieces together when he figured out that Bella was— _ is _ , you.”

 

“Okay…” Beca isn’t sure what to do with this information.

 

“I wish to start over with you,” Chloe says, grasping Beca’s hand. “I am still hurt and upset that you left me, but you are back. You are with me  _ right now _ .”

 

Chloe’s thumb runs over Beca’s knuckles.

 

“And I wish to know you as Beca, not as Bella,” the emotion in Chloe’s voice make it hard for Beca to breathe.

 

And she wants to run.

 

She wants to desperately run.

 

But she doesn’t, because Chloe’s holding her hand.

 

And, in more ways than one, Chloe’s her anchor.

 

“Okay,” Beca breathes out, “Okay, let’s start over.”

 

Chloe’s smile is breathtaking and Beca feels herself sinking further and further in love with the redhead staring at her.

 


	2. i can't lose you again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse tells Beca about the plan. Apparently Stacie has a thing for Princess Posen. Beca and Chloe are in love.

There’s a knock on Beca’s door and she looks up just to see Chloe peek her head in. 

 

Just by seeing the redhead, Beca feels her lips automatically curving up.

 

“Busy?” Chloe questions, her full body still hidden behind the large door. Beca, who’s sitting on the windowsill, turns and stands.

 

“Yes, I have a  _ lot _ of work to do, Princess Chloe,” Beca’s tone is light and teasing. 

 

She has been at the Beale Kingdom for a few days now, only going out of the castle to visit Stacie or ride Blake around. She’s clearly more than welcome at the castle and, although Beca would usually feel uncomfortable about taking and not receiving, she likes being here, and so she’s been staying.

 

When Beca notices Chloe not moving from behind the door, she narrows her eyes. 

 

“What are you hiding?”

 

The door creaks a little as Chloe pushes is open and Beca gasps at the tiny creature in Chloe’s arms. She immediately walks over.

 

“Oh my,” she whispers, “Is this…?”

 

“Yes,” Chloe gently kicks the door closed behind her, holding the small furry animal towards Beca. “This is Bella.”

 

The baby direwolf looks barely old enough to be away from her mother. Unlike Jay, whose coat was an ashy grey color, Bella’s coat is light brown with blonde strands riddled in. Her eyes are an ember green that Beca thinks is beautiful.

 

“Wow,” she takes Bella from Chloe and smiles at the warmth radiating from the small body, “she is  _ beautiful _ .”

 

“She is only a few months old,” Chloe says, leading Beca to the bed so they can sit down. “She is still a baby.”

 

Beca places Bella on the bed and the animal takes the opportunity to jump around, throwing its small body into soft, fluffy pillows. It makes Beca smile and laugh as she turns around to mess with the direwolf. She moves her hand from side to side on the bed as Bella yelps and follows the movement.

 

Beca looks up at Chloe with a ‘are you seeing this?’ face on and is taken aback at the fact that Chloe is already staring at her. Like,  _ really _ , staring at her.

 

“Do I have something on my face?” Beca asks, trying to hide her nervousness from the intense blue eyes.

 

“Beauty.”

 

“Wow,” Beca deadpans, unable to keep her laugh in. Bella attacks her hand playfully and Beca watches as Chloe’s smile widens, and then she goes back to playing with Bella.

  
  
  
  


When Bella almost successfully pees on one of the pillows, Chloe orders one of the servants to take her outside. Beca laughs when Chloe picks up the young animal because the redhead is scrambling to get the direwolf  _ out of the room _ before she pees everywhere.

 

“That was  _ not _ funny,” Chloe says as soon as she closes the door behind her, breathing heavily, “Those pillows were  _ gifts  _ from the Posen Kingdom.”

 

“It was kind of funny,” Beca grins when Chloe sits next to her. They’re closer than when they were sitting with Bella on the bed, not that Beca minds. “I take it you are close with the Posen Family?”

 

Chloe hums, “I consider Princess Aubrey one of my closest friends,” she looks down, “It is sad that their Kingdom is so far away.”

 

“How far is it on foot?” Beca questions.

 

“About three days,” Chloe answers, picking at the fur blanket.

 

“Blake can make that in less than two days,”

 

Chloe’s eyes widen and Beca’s smile softens. They lock eyes for a little longer until Chloe’s cheeks are red and she laughs.

 

“So, she has gotten over her fear of heights?”

 

Beca throws her head back as she laughs, “Oh, most definitely.”

 

When their chuckles die down, Beca feels a warm hand on her cheek.

 

“I am really glad you are here,” Chloe says softly. Beca can see the slight glossiness of her eyes and something inside of her feels like it’s being squeezed.

 

“As am I,” she breathes out in a reply, just before Chloe’s lips meet hers. 

 

They both smile as soon as their lips touch and it makes for a messy kiss—their teeth knocking against each other—but they don’t care. Beca lays down, arms loosely wrapped around Chloe’s neck as the redhead takes position above her.

 

Something about the pressure of Chloe’s body on hers makes Beca feel grounded, like she isn’t going anywhere—like time doesn’t exist.

 

“I adore you, Beca Mitchell,” Chloe whispers, her lips grazing Beca’s.

 

“And  _ I _ adore  _ you _ , Chloe Beale,” Beca smiles contently as Chloe buries her face into her neck. 

  
  
  


They hold each other in tight embraces until it is dinner time.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


To say the least, dinner with the Royal Family isn’t as bad as they had been a few days ago. 

 

Every time Jesse feeds Chloe food, Beca has to choke back a snort because Jesse would  _ always _ meet her eyes. He would wink just as the food touches Chloe’s lips and Beca has to legitimately bite the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from smiling too widely.

 

It was a weird situation, yes, but Beca hasn’t felt such happiness in a while.

 

Seeing the most important people (and  _ creatures _ ) in her life everyday makes Beca’s heart beat louder than it’s ever done before.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  


“Ah! My favorite Princess!” Stacie grins as soon as Beca enters the pub. Her eyes then widen in panic, “Oh! Don’t tell Princess Chloe I said that!”

 

Beca laughs and shakes her head, “I am  _ definitely _ tell her you said that.”

 

“ _ Shoot _ !” Stacie feigns terror, dropping the mask as Beca slides into a seat at the counter, “How is everything, shorty?”

 

Beca doesn’t even bother chiding Stacie for the nickname—she’s gotten used to it (and she’s glad that Stacie hasn’t resorted to being formal with her ever since she’s figured out that Beca is royalty)—and shrugs, “Everything is  _ really  _ good, actually.”

 

The playful smile on Stacie’s face cools into a genuine, loving one. 

 

“I’m really happy to hear that, Bell— _ Beca _ ,” 

 

Beca smiles at the slip-up.

 

Stacie clears her throat. 

 

“So, I assume you and the Princess have made sweet,  _ sweet _ love already?”

 

Beca reaches across the counter to hit Stacie but the brunette dips away with a laugh.

 

“I’m  _ right _ , aren’t I?!”

 

“Keep your voice down!” Beca warns, gritting her teeth as Stacie laughs even louder. She feels her neck warming up and she groans. “We have  _ not _ , Stacie. I am simply just happy to be around her, thank you very much.”

 

“Hey, I’m not judging,” Stacie smirks, wiping down the counter, “Tell me  _ all _ the details.”

 

“ _ Good god _ ,”

  
  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


Bella is running through the garden as Beca and Chloe walk side-by-side.

 

“You have never told me how you got Jay and Bella,” Beca notes.

 

“My father knows of a breeder,” Chloe hums, arm locked with Beca’s, “one of the most trusted breeders in the realm. Jay had been a gift for my tenth birthday.”

 

Beca nods, “You have had Jay for over a decade, then?”

 

“Yes,” Chloe responds, “I grew up with Jay. I could have died with Jay, too. Direwolves live long, do you not know?”

 

“No, I did not know,” Beca smiles softly, leaning up to press a kiss against Chloe’s lips, “now I do. If it makes you feel any better, Jay is always with you, Chloe.”

 

She places her free hand against Chloe’s beating heart.

 

“Right here.”

 

The smile that the redhead gives her throws Beca into a whirlwind of emotions and Beca opts to just press another light kiss to Chloe’s lips.

  
  
  
  
  


“You never told me where you got Blake,” Chloe says after a minute.

 

Beca clears her throat, “Back at my Kingdom, the dragons seldom laid eggs.”

 

Chloe listens intently, nodding at Beca’s words to show that she’s paying attention.

 

“There were four eggs that were in safe-keeping. Blake’s egg just happened to be the one that hatched as I was born, and thus I was Dragonborn.”

 

“ _ Dragonborn _ ,” Chloe repeats the word softly, “ _ my _ lady, a  _ Dragonborn _ .”

 

Beca’s cheeks warm up instantly as Chloe’s laugh echoes in her brain.

  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


“It is  _ cold _ ,” Chloe whispers as Beca leads them out of the castle window, careful steps taken to descend from the high structure.

 

“There is a front gate for a reason!” Chloe speaks quietly and harshly as Beca hops down the last few feet, onto the ground. The redhead huffs and follows after the smaller brunette.

 

Beca’s hand finds Chloe’s once the redhead sticks her landing and she leads the two of them into the courtyard in which Blake had been placed. 

 

Upon seeing Beca, Blake’s head lifts from its position on the ground and she mewls. The noise is deep is rumbling and it would be  _ terrifying _ to anyone else, but Beca’s heart warms up.

 

“Blake,” Beca addresses the dragon, “you remember Chloe, right?”

 

Blake, as if understanding everything Beca said, acknowledges Chloe with her gaze. Smoke comes out from her nostrils and Beca leads the two of them right in front of Blake.

 

“Wow,” Chloe breathes out in amazement. Blake’s head is taller than Chloe, Blake’s eye is the size of Chloe’s head, and Blake could probably eat her in one bite if she wanted to.

 

But she doesn’t.

 

And it makes Chloe’s stomach turn as she considers how much she trusts this big, magnificent creature.

 

“She has gotten a little bit bigger,” Beca states, watching as Chloe lets go of her hand to walk towards Blake.

 

Chloe turns her head and looks at Beca with a quirked eyebrow, “Wow,  _ really _ ?”

 

Beca chuckles and gestures for Chloe to move closer to Blake.

 

The redhead turns and lifts a hand carefully, not making any sudden movements. When she puts her hand on the side of Blake’s snout, she’s surprised to feel how  _ warm _ the creature is. As if there is a fire inside of it.

  
  
  
  


Because lifting off with Blake would probably wake up the entire Kingdom, the two girls decide to just settle down beneath her wing, relishing in the warmth.

 

“This reminds me of a story,” Beca says quietly, with Chloe’s hand in her lap. 

 

“Go on,” Chloe stares at her with sparkles in her eyes. 

 

Beca studies the girl’s face before nodding, continuing to speak.

 

“I was six when I got lost in the woods during winter,” Beca plays with Chloe’s fingers, “and if Blake were not with me, I would have died.”

 

“Winters down south were  _ brutal _ ,” Beca continues, “it is one of the reasons why I decided to go north after my Kingdom was taken. I knew I could not survive with those weather conditions. Anyway, when I got lost, it was so cold, and Blake kept me warm.”

 

A smile tugs at Beca’s lips at the memory.

 

“My mother told me that when the guards found me, I was on the brink of death and even though Blake was, too, she used her energy to keep me warm by breathing out hot air.”

 

Chloe watches Beca, entranced.

 

“It was not even fire anymore because of how worn out she was—it was just… air,” Beca’s free hand goes to pat the creature she was leaning on, “she saved my life.”

 

Chloe squeezes Beca’s hand.

 

“The bond you two share is incredible,” Chloe whispers, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Beca’s temple. Beca’s eyes close as Chloe’s lips linger. The two smile despite knowing the other one wouldn’t be able to see their smiles. “I am glad you two have each other.”

 

“Me too,” Beca hums, moving away so she can look at Chloe. She smiles, “We  _ are  _ bonded, after all.”

 

Chloe’s eyes brighten up at the topic, “I never knew of that to be true.”

 

“What? Of soulmates?”

 

“I have heard stories about humans being able to have mystical creatures as their soulmates, but  _ only  _ stories, I never  _ truly  _ believed it,” 

 

Beca can’t help but smile because she really,  _ really _ finds the redhead endearing.

 

Chloe keeps talking, “My mother had told me about you when I was around the age of eight. I did not entirely believe her and the fact that I did not know you did not do much to ease my suspicions. Our Kingdoms, as you know, did not interact much.”

 

There’s a gentle laugh.

 

“To be honest, I knew only of your Kingdom because you had dragons and it was always so cold down there from what I had been told,” their eyes meet, “I thought it was weird how fire-breathing creatures lived in such cold climates.”

 

“They kept us warm,” Beca speaks quietly, a small, reminiscent smile on her lips.

 

Chloe pushes forward and presses a kiss onto Beca’s forehead, comforting her in ways words never could. 

 

And, despite it being the littlest of gestures, it sends Beca’s heart soaring to altitudes she has never been able to reach on Blake.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  


“You and the baker boy, huh?” Beca says as she and Jesse stroll through the castle’s garden. Jesse sends her a pointed look and Beca grins. “When do I get to meet him?”

 

“ _ Never _ ,” Jesse grunts, but Beca can see the smile on his face. 

 

They walk in silence until they sit down on a bench. 

  
  


Jesse starts talking quietly.

 

“I searched all over the Realm for you, you know?” he admits, “I didn’t want to believe that my best friend was dead, so I didn’t. After I joined the Royal Guard,  _ jeez _ , I went on so many trips trying to find you. So, when I heard about someone named ‘Bella the Dragon’, a little bit of hope sparked up in me.”

 

Beca finds it harder to breathe as Jesse continues talking. 

 

“I met Chloe incidentally on one of my trips,” he says, “Actually, I helped save her.”

 

Beca looks at him, intrigued at the statement.

 

“It was when she was on the way to the Posen Kingdom,” he states. Beca remembers Chloe telling her about this, about when Jay saved her and ended up dying himself. “The King offered to take my squadron back to the Kingdom with him for a proper thanks, and things escalated from there.”

 

“Chloe told me that you two agreed to wed because it was safe,” Beca says.

 

Jesse nods with a laugh, “Well, our  _ preferences  _ kind of differ. Moreso mine than hers, as she is attracted to both men and women whilst I only like men, but we knew we wouldn’t feel anything more than friendship so it’s simple, really.”

 

Beca hums, “I see,” she pauses, “I appreciate that you never stopped looking for me. And I thank you for helping save Chloe.”

 

Jesse places a comforting hand on Beca’s shoulder. She offers a small smile.

 

“I knew everyone I loved was there that day of the attack. And, you know me, I have never had much optimism in the first place, so I ran away. I did not think there was a reason for me to stay.”

 

The hand on her shoulder squeezes gently. Beca blinks away sad tears.

 

“I am just happy I am here, now.”

 

“I’m happy too, Beca.”

 

Beca, although not being one for physical affection, knows that she’s comfortable enough with Jesse to lean into him. Immediately, strong arms envelope her as she cries. Jesse places his chin on her head as she wets his shirt with her tears.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“I’ve been planning to take back your Kingdom,” Jesse announces after Beca has calmed down.

 

Beca looks at him incredulously.

 

“Initially, I planned to take it back to use it as a Royal Guards headquarter since we really only have one main base, and it’s so far from the south,” Jesse continues, “but now that  _ you’re _ here… the Mitchell Kingdom can be rebuilt.”

 

“That is ridiculous, Jesse,” Beca shakes her head, “it is too dangerous. You  _ saw _ what happened, did you not? They had trained  _ ogres—orges _ !”

 

“You  _ wound  _ me, Beca,” Jesse tries to lighten the situation, “The Royal Guard has the most skilled fighters in all of the Realm.”

 

“Absolutely not,” Beca says firmly.

 

“ _ Beca _ ,” Jesse tilts his head, his tone hardening, “You have seen the chaos they have been creating in the south, haven’t you? I’m sure you have, what with all the travelling you have been doing.”

 

Beca tightens her jaw.

 

She knows.

 

She’s well aware that the prisoners that had taken over her Kingdom were still inducing terror into the Kingdoms nearby. Every neighboring Kingdom is fearing that they’d be the next to be taken over.

 

“The Royal Guard has been the one that’s been pushing their attacks back further into the south, keeping them from spreading.”

 

Seeing that Beca isn’t giving in, Jesse sighs and leans back.

 

“Your dragons are still alive.”

 

Beca’s eyes snap towards his, and she  _ really _ wants to punch the little smile on his face off.

  
  
  
  
  


Jesse leads Beca towards his shared room with Chloe ( _ ew _ ) and pulls out a rolled-up piece of paper. He unrolls it on the table and grabs a couple of books to keep it flat. Beca finds herself staring at a close-up map of the area of the Realm near her Kingdom.

 

“We believe that the prisoners have cave entrances here,” he points, “here,” another point, “and  _ here _ —this entrance is the largest.” 

 

He points to one last cave entrance and Beca’s eyebrows lift up. 

 

The three cave entrances are more or less surrounding the Kingdom, making the Kingdom completely vulnerable to any attacks. She is surprised her Kingdom did not know about these locations before.

 

Jesse rushes to get another piece of paper, this one much smaller than the one laid out on the table. He hands it to Beca, who unfolds it.

 

“This is what we have so far about what exactly the cave tunnels look like.”

 

It’s a lot of twisting doodles that interconnect in more ways than one. 

 

It makes Beca’s head spin.

 

“Your dragons are somewhere down there,” Jesse says, he points to a large circle marked with an ‘x’, “we believe they’re trapped in here.”

 

“How do you know?” Beca looks up from the paper in her hand. 

 

His face dims.

 

“Another Royal Guard was taken as hostage a while back, he was known as Bumper. He… He was missing both arms when he was sent back to give a message to us,” he explains, “he told us that the dragons were down there, along with many other creatures from all over the Realm, and that the Taken were going to attack soon.”

 

“The  _ Taken _ ?”

 

“The prisoners, that’s what they’re calling themselves,”

 

Beca’s eyebrows furrow, “How long ago did this happen?”

 

“A few months,”

 

“The dragons… they cannot fight back?”

 

“I assume they are chained up,” Jesse sighs, “too weak to fight back.”

 

Beca’s heart clenches.

 

“We need to get them free.”

 

Jesse nods firmly and Beca has no idea for what she’s in for.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  


“Okay, hold on tight, m’lady,” Beca hums as Chloe’s arms around her waist tightens. There is a group of people watching from outside the courtyard, probably just watching to see if their beloved Princess will fall to her death. 

 

(Beca would  _ never _ let that happen, not on her watch.)

 

Jesse, who is off to the side, grins with his arms crossed.

 

“You best take care of my lady, Princess Mitchell!” he shouts out, making Beca snort.

 

Chloe giggles and the sound sends a tickle throughout every nerve in Beca’s body.

 

“Okay,” Beca pats the dragon softly before grasping onto her scaly skin as tightly as she can, “Blake,  _ up _ !”

 

Blake jumps into the air and Chloe squeals, hiding her face behind Beca’s shoulders. 

 

After the lift-off, the rest of the ride is swift and relaxing.

 

“Not that bad, right?”

 

Chloe’s grip isn’t as deathly tight now that they’re steadily flying through the air. Her eyes are still closed, though, and Beca can tell just by the fact that the redhead isn’t gushing about the view.

 

“You are not looking, are you?”

 

Chloe squeaks.

 

The vibration of Beca’s laugh against Chloe’s body makes the redhead feel warm all over.

 

“Chloe,  _ look _ , it is beautiful.”

 

When the redhead peeks open an eye, she instantly opens her other eye because,  _ wow _ , Beca wasn’t kidding when she said it’s beautiful.

 

“I…” Chloe’s speechless.

 

“I know,” Beca responds.

  
  
  
  


“Tell me about the other dragons, Beca,” Chloe says after they’ve been riding for a while.

 

“Why so suddenly?” Beca responds. Chloe hums.

 

“I just want to know, and I know Blake was not the only dragon from your Kingdom.”

 

Beca grins, “Okay. There were five other ones, all  _ much _ older than Blake.”

 

“ _ Wow _ , really?” the sarcasm is evident in the redhead’s tone, and Beca laughs.

 

“I mean it! The oldest one, Apollo, is  _ very _ old! He has been alive longer than my great great grandfather’s generation. He is the strongest, and we believe he is Blake’s father because he and Blake share the same scale color.”

 

Chloe lays her chin on Beca’s shoulder.

 

“What else?”

 

Beca hums, thinking for a moment, “There are the twins; Medusa and Viper. They are both a red-orange color. They hatched from one egg during my great-grandfather’s reign.”

 

“That is amazing,” Chloe presses a kiss to Beca’s shoulder, “And the two other ones?”

 

“Hydra. She is blue and she was hatched just before my father was born,” Beca hesitates, “the last one is named Misty.”

 

“Why Misty?” Chloe hums, taking note of how tense Beca has gotten.

 

“She is grey,” Beca replies and Chloe waits, knowing that there’s more, “and she was born without sight. She was my mother’s favorite.”

 

Chloe tightens her hold on Beca, knowing how much the girl’s mother meant to her.

 

“They all sound wonderful, Beca.”

 

Beca nods, and smiles when Chloe presses yet another kiss on her shoulder.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Hold the sword like  _ this _ —no, Beca, you’re going to break your elbow holding it at that angle, just—” Jesse reaches forward to help Beca adjust her grip, “ _ there _ . Just like that. Okay, now fix your stance, you’re too stiff.”

 

“I am always stiff,” Beca grunts. 

 

She’s still sweating from the earlier workouts Jesse had her do. She wipes her palms on her pants so she can grip the sword without slipping up.

 

“That stiffness will get you killed,” Jesse retorts, “you need to relax as much as you can. You need to be fluid with your movements, not mechanic. Just  _ relax _ .”

 

Beca takes a deep breath and tries to release the tension in her body.

 

“Better,” Jesse nods, “much better. Here, I’ll go slow.”

 

He unsheathes his own sword from his belt and gets into a similar stance like Beca’s.

 

They’re in the garden again, and this area has become  _ their  _ area. The guards at the entrance of the garden have been told to leave them alone whenever they’re in here, despite how suspicious the order might seem.

 

Jesse has been training Beca for only a couple days now, and it has been a little over a month since Beca has been at the Beale Kingdom. They’ve continued plotting the attack, with Jesse continuously going back and forth to the Royal Guard with new plans and coming back to Beca with the adjustments that have been made. 

 

Now that Beca Mitchell is in the mix, attacking and gaining control back over the Mitchell Kingdom has become much easier.

 

The plan was to get Beca into the cave system without attracting too much attention, to get her close enough for her to command her dragons. 

 

They’ll listen to her and only her.

 

(“They might not be too weak to fight back,” Beca says in a murmur, Jesse barely hears her. 

 

“What do you mean?” he asks.

 

“Dragons… they are stubborn creatures—trust me, I would know,” Beca grumbles, remembering how much she had struggled to get Blake to listen to her when she was still a baby, “They might just be disobeying orders… they do not want to listen to the Taken.”

 

Jesse is silent momentarily.

 

And then,

 

“Well,  _ fuck _ , you might be onto something.”)

 

But  _ first _ , Beca needs to know how to defend herself.

 

“Block this,” Jesse brings his sword forward and Beca barely has enough time to react, even though Jesse is going slow.

 

The sharp  _ cling _ noise that follows the clashing of their swords makes Beca clench her jaw. 

 

“Good,” Jesse nods, “Again.”

 

They go through this repeatedly until Beca feels as if her arm is going to fall off. The vibrations that ripple through her muscles at every clash of their swords keeps her whole body tingling even after Jesse calls the training off for the day.

 

“You did good, Beca,” Jesse grins, barely breaking a sweat whilst Beca feels like she’s about to die. “Same time tomorrow.”

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


Beca would be lying if she said that seeing Chloe and Jesse kissing doesn’t make her stomach churn uncomfortably.

 

The holding hands and the feeding each other food,  _ that _ Beca can deal with. It’s funny, even, because Beca can joke about it to the pair through eye contact and winks, but how does she do that with kisses when their eyes are  _ closed _ ?

 

Though she knows it’s all for show, she’s always been insecure when it comes to those she loves—thinking she doesn’t deserve them and that they deserve better, that Beca’s just a burden to them—and seeing Chloe and Jesse actually  _ kissing _ , not just pecks, either, but  _ kissing _ ?

 

And then hearing the crowd go wild? And seeing the King and Queen with beaming smiles?

 

Beca feels sick. 

 

She manages to sneak out quiet enough to slip away on Blake, unknown to all of those at the feast. 

  
  
  
  


“Where did you sneak off to, Beca?” Chloe questions as soon as Beca enters her room, “I was worried.”

 

“I am sorry for making you worried,” Beca replies tiredly. She goes to get under the covers and Chloe watches with concerned eyes.

 

“Have I done something to upset you, Beca?”

 

“No,” Beca shakes her head. “Well…  _ No _ , no, you have not.”

 

“Tell me,” Chloe stares at her. Beca sighs, sitting up against the headboard.

 

“It is foolish,”

 

“It is not,” Chloe responds quickly.

 

“How do you know it is not if I have not told you it yet?” Beca asks, slightly amused.

 

Chloe does not seem amused in any way. She takes hold of Beca’s pale hand, holding it in between her own two hands.

 

“Because if it upsets you, it is not foolish,” she says, “Tell me, Beca, what upset you?”

  
  
  


Chloe does not call her foolish when Beca stumbles over her words nor when Beca chokes between sentences, and Chloe does not call her foolish when Beca cries or when Beca tells her of past lovers who had left her for better people.

 

Instead,

 

“Those people who have left you are the foolish ones, my love,” she whispers, placing a kiss on Beca’s temple, “you have every right to be upset about our situation, as I am upset, too.”

 

Chloe’s hand is warm and comforting on Beca’s nape.

 

“We will figure everything out, okay?”

 

And Beca nods, because she’s never felt so  _ safe _ and so  _ loved _ as she does when she’s with Chloe. It’s weird to have her walls completely down, but it’s so relieving. 

  
  
  
  


Their love is slow that night, with Chloe making sure to compliment every aspect of Beca in between touches and kisses.

 

Beca thinks she’s completely and hopelessly in love with the redhead.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Chloe and Jesse keep their kisses to a minimum after that.

  
  
  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  


Stacie sits with her across the table of the pub with a wide smile on her face. Between going out to Royal feasts and training with Jesse, Beca still finds the need/want to visit Stacie. The taller brunette has been there for her through thick and thin and Beca has a lot to thank her for.

 

Also, she’s good company.

  
  


“You did  _ what _ ?” Beca nearly shouts.

 

“I did the dirty with his daughter,” Stacie grins, as if that is something to be proud of.

 

“But you—!”

 

“I  _ know _ !” Stacie laughs loudly. Beca’s shocked face does nothing to diminish her amusement. She smirks, “His daughter was better.”

 

“ _ Stacie _ !” Beca exclaims in disbelief. 

 

“Hey! You can’t blame me,” Stacie then gestures to her crotch, “ _ He’s _ a hunter.”

 

“Oh, good  _ Gods _ ,” Beca buries her face into her hands, shaking her head. 

 

Stacie continues to smugly smile.

 

She is truly one of a kind.

  
  
  
  


After they’ve calmed down, Beca starts up another conversation—one that  _ doesn’t _ involve having sex with a man’s daughter after only a day of having sex with  _ him _ .

 

“Hey, so the Posen Family is coming to visit,” Beca smiles fondly, “Chloe is so excited. She  _ cannot  _ stop talking about Princess Aubrey.”

 

Stacie makes a face when Beca mentions the Posen princess. The reaction makes Beca’s eyebrows shoot up. 

 

_ There’s _ a story.

 

“Don’t,” Stacie holds up a hand as she notices the interest spark up in Beca’s eyes. She shakes her head, “Don’t ask me.”

 

“Awe, why not?” Beca pouts, “Why do you not like Princess Aubrey?”

 

“No offence,” Stacie scoffs, “but Princess Aubrey is sort of a major _bitch_ —and that’s coming from _me_.”

 

“I doubt she is  _ that  _ bad if Chloe is friends with her,” Beca reasons, leaning forward and resting her chin in the palm of her hand, “What did she do to you, huh?”

 

Stacie scowls.

 

“She broke my heart.”

 

_ That _ , Beca does not expect.

 

“Ouch,”

 

“It was years ago,” Stacie lifts her chin up, “I’m over her.”

 

“So, if I invited you to the Royal feast tomorrow, you would go?”

 

Stacie falters.

 

Beca laughs at her friend.

  
  
  
  


The next night, Beca is about to enter the pub when she sees, through the window, the familiar blonde princess (whom she just had dinner with an hour prior) talking to Stacie. 

 

Beca can sense the tension from outside, and walks right past the pub. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Beca makes no comment on the purple blotches painted upon Stacie’s neck and collarbone when she visits the next day.

  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


When Chloe kisses her scars, Beca’s skin tingles as if Jesse’s sword had clashed with hers much too hard for her liking—except Beca  _ likes _ this tingle, and welcomes it with open arms.

 

Beca has a lot of scars, and Chloe takes her time kissing each one, giving carefully placed kisses along each of them.

 

Pink lips graze over a rather long scar across her stomach. It’s ugly and the skin is contorted around the off-colored skin, but Chloe caresses it as if it were a fine art piece.

 

“I was attacked by a wild direwolf a month after I left,” Beca says, causing blue eyes to look up at her from below, “I killed it, but it got me good. I could barely walk properly for a month… and it left that  _ gruesome  _ mark.” 

 

There is a gentle silence after her words as Chloe’s eyes stare into her. Beca doesn’t feel as if she’s being judged under Chloe’s gaze—which goes to show just how much she trusts the redhead—but instead, she feels  _ loved _ .

 

“You,” Chloe starts off, and pauses to press a soft kiss onto the scar, “are the most beautiful being I have ever seen,” Chloe whispers against the skin of her stomach, and Beca’s chest heaves at the overwhelming emotions that hit her. and the redhead continues her descent.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


They take Bella out to meet Blake three months after Beca’s return. Bella’s up to Beca’s lower thigh at this point, and is quick to bound over to Blake. It is interesting to see how quick the two creatures got along, considering Jay had been completely hostile to the dragon. Beca grins when the playful direwolf jumps at Blake’s snout and the dragon merely responds with a huff of smoke into the direwolf’s face. Bella barks at this.

 

“Blake would not eat Bella, would she?”

 

“Hopefully not.”

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


As news spread about Bella the Dragon being Beca Mitchell, many people come to visit the Beale Kingdom in hopes of meeting her. Beca doesn’t amuse them more than she needs to. She greets a few of those in the higher class, but avoids the various stragglers that simply want to take advantage of her. 

 

Chloe smiles at how uncomfortable Beca is being in the spotlight.

 

“Are you sure you were a princess, my love?”

 

Beca simply shoots her a glare, eyes narrowed.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


Chloe tells Beca she loves her after Beca has woken up due to another nightmare about her past. 

 

The words are mixed between comforting phrases of ‘you’re safe’, ‘it’s okay’, and ‘I am here’, but they’re loud and clear to Beca, who clutches Chloe’s waist tighter and allows the redhead to hold her.

 

Beca says it back as soon as she’s calmed down, and Chloe kisses her like she’s her whole universe.

 

(She is.)

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


“ _ What _ are you two doing?” Chloe asks upon entering her room, seeing papers sprawled all over the floor along with Jesse and Beca bent over them. 

 

Like two adolescents caught sneaking into the cookie jar, Jesse and Beca both jump up.

 

“ _ Nothing _ !” they say in unison.

 

Chloe scans her eyes over the papers and feels her stomach drop when she spots various words—‘Mitchell Kingdom’, ‘cave tunnels’, ‘the Taken’—each phrase makes the worry inside of her build and build.

 

“What is this?” she asks in a trembling voice.

 

Beca’s quick to speak up, trying to keep her voice light and eager as to balance out the dark, concerned tone from the redhead.

 

“I am going to get my Kingdom back, Chlo.”

 

The nickname might’ve made Chloe’s heart flutter any other time, but right now Chloe’s too scared and deathly worried to react much to that.

 

“It is too dangerous,” Chloe shakes her head, “you must not.”

 

“The dragons,” Beca gestures to the paper, “they are alive, Chloe! They are in the tunnels.”

 

She hurries to grab at a paper on the ground, holding it up for Chloe to see. 

 

Chloe can’t see much past her blurry tears.

 

“I  _ just  _ got you back,” Chloe whispers heartbreakingly. 

 

Upon seeing the redhead start crying, Beca panics and drops the paper. She pulls Chloe into her arms and is relieved that the redhead wraps her arms around her, too.

 

She’s glad the redhead doesn’t push her away.

 

“Hey, I am not going anywhere,” she soothes her, though it does little to qualm Chloe’s anxiousness.

 

Jesse speaks up, hoping to push some of the blame off of Beca, “It was my idea, Chloe,”

 

Chloe pulls away from Beca and glares at him with teary eyes, anger bubbling up, “Why would you ever even  _ suggest _ such a thing?”

 

“Because I think it’s possible!” Jesse responds, not raising his tone in anger but rather in a way that shows he’s trying to get his point across, “We have been holding them off for so long and we have been pushing them back, we can  _ take back _ the Kingdom.”

 

“I will not lose Beca again,” Chloe frowns, “I  _ cannot _ .”

 

“And you will not,” Beca reassures her, “I have the most skilled fighters in the Realm on my side,  _ and _ my dragons.”

 

“You had your dragons before, Beca,” Chloe whispers.

 

“Jesse has been training me,” Beca ignores Chloe’s comment, “in sword fighting and self-defense. I have gotten really good.”

 

“You told me those bruises were from rough rides with Blake,” Chloe frowns.

 

“Yes, and I am sorry to have lied to you,” Beca takes Chloe’s hand in hers, “but I think we truly have a chance at this.”

 

“No,” Chloe’s jaw locks and she shakes her head, her eyes darkening in the way that Beca knows she’s set on something, “you cannot.”

 

“ _ Chloe _ , please,” Beca tightens her grip, “the dragons—they… they are the only family I have left.”

 

And it works. Chloe’s eyes soften, but her jaw is still tight.

 

Beca brings her other hand to cup the girl’s cheek, fingertips brushing against her jaw.

 

“I  _ promise _ you, Chloe Beale, I  _ will _ return to you,” and with one shared look, Chloe knows that Beca’s telling the truth.

 

“I do not like this  _ at all _ .”

 

Beca’s lips break out into a smile and she presses kisses all over Chloe’s face. Jesse throws his arms around both girls, squeezing them in a tight group hug that causes the both of them to yelp out in surprise.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


Chloe joins Jesse and Beca on their training days, now. She watches from the bench as Beca blocks attack after attack. The redhead is pleasantly surprised at how good Beca is at this.

 

It seems even Jesse is having a hard time keeping up with the little brunette.

 

“She’s good, isn’t she?” Jesse says with a grin as she drinks some water. Beca is still holding her sword, slashing at the air.

 

“She is,” Chloe nods, staring at her lover. Something about seeing Beca so intense, all whilst being so sweaty and out of breath....

  
  
  
  
  
  


Beca unfolds under Chloe’s touch as the redhead takes her then and there, at the garden, after Jesse has left.

 

“I—I am sweaty and dirty, Chloe,” Beca gasps, whimpering when Chloe’s tongue runs over a sensitive area.

 

“You are just fine,” Chloe’s tone is deeper than usual, more sensual and— _ God _ , is Beca glad she’s taken up swordfighting.

  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  
  


When she tells Stacie about her plan with the Royal Guard, it’s the first time she’s seen Stacie cry.

 

“You better not get injured, Beca Mitchell!” she yells, hugging Beca tightly. Beca hugs her back.

 

“I will try my hardest not to, Stace,” she replies gently. Stacie sniffles.

 

“I need your shortness around to boost my ego,”

 

Beca can’t help but chuckle.

  
  
  
  
  
  


//

  
  
  
  


“Beca?” Chloe whispers one night as they lay in bed, held tight in each other’s arms.

 

“Yes, Chloe?”

 

“I love you,” the redhead breathes out, “so much.”

 

“I know, Chloe,” Beca responds, leaning up and kissing Chloe’s lips briefly, “I love you, too.”

 

“I do not want to lose you,” Chloe says shakily.

 

“You will not,” Beca kisses her again, and again, and again.

 

“You will  _ not _ .”

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> kudos and comments are much appreciated! :D  
> might make a part two, might not.


End file.
